In Anambra, Okowa Stamps His Igbo Ancestry, Addresses Party Faithful In Igbo Language

By Charles Igbo

To rubbish any shadow of doubt about his Igbo ancestry, Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Ifeanyi  Okowa, established it with two hands.

The Presidential Campaign train of the PDP had gone to Awka Anambra State for its launch. On hand were the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and National officers of the Party.

Atiku  and his entourage which included Okowa had first paid a courtesy call to the State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo.

Thereafter, they went to the stadium where a crowd of their supporters waited patiently. It was there that Okowa, who is, also, the Governor of Delta State, dared anybody who would deny him of his Igbo ancestry, or say the Igbo have no stake in a possible PDP Presidency.

Earlier, while  trying to give Atiku a sense of belonging, and to tell the people that Atiku has a relationship with the Igbo,  Soludo kept referring to Atiku as “ourin-law.”

Atiku’s estranged wife, Dr Jennifer Iwenjora, is from Onitsha, Anambra State.

Atiku himself had tried to establish his love for the Igbo when he reminded his audience that all his running  mates, for the number of times he contested for the Presidency, were Igbo, and that the Igbo’s surest way to the plum office of the President is through him.

But it was Okowa who stole the show and reminded the Igbo that the PDP ticket is their ticket, that they have a stake in it, that their son is one-half of the ticket.

When he stood up to speak, he saluted the excited crowd in Igbo. He did not stop at that. He addressed the party faithful in Igbo language all through.

Noted one man: “Those who say the Igbo have no stake in the Presidency should shut-up. We have Obi (Peter) in the Labour Party, and we have another son, as one-half of the PDP ticket.”

Okowa, who is the Governor of Delta State, is from Owa, an Igbo speaking area of the State.